Olivet Presbyterian Church

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During the summer of 2008, the church's Session conducted a Congregational Self-Study with the goal of visiting every church member and active participant of Olivet. Each Session member recruited a partner from the congregation, attended a training conducted by the Interim Pastor, and received a list of 10-12 names to contact for a home visit. To accommodate those who might prefer a small group setting, several cottage gatheringswere also scheduled in members' homes and at the church. The visits focused on the following six questions that were mailed out in advance: 1. Why do you participate in this congregation? ( Not why did you join Olivet, but why do you continue to participate? ) Our mission at Olivet Presbyterian Church is to welcome all people into our diverse family of Christian faith and fellowship, to experience God's presence in worship and daily living, and to share the love of Christ by reaching out to those in need. We take stewardship seriously. Over the years we have never lost the sense that we are called to mission, in our local community, and in the world at large. This calling has led us to run mission projects reaching out to those in need in our local community as well as to host benefits and mission trips to help those further from home. We look forward to the blessings and challenges that God has in store for us as we enter a new era in the history of our congregation. History of the Olivet Presbyterian Church The Olivet Presbyterian Church celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2006, but its ministry dates back 95 years. In May of 1913, a young divinity student, Joseph DeRogatis, was engaged by the session of Calvary Presbyterian Church to begin a ministry to Italian-speaking immigrants in the West New Brighton area. Under his leadership and with the partnership of his wife, Emma, the ministry grew rapidly, and in 1917 a new church called Calvary Chapel was built on West Street. The new building soon became a hub of active outreach to the community and the DeRogatis' name became synonymous with caring and compassion for those in need. Also, the church's summer Daily Vacation Bible School became the first of its kind on Staten Island, drawing large numbers of both Protestant and Roman Catholic children. Dr. DeRogatis opened a second chapel in Rosebank named Our Savior, ministering there, as well, to Italian-speaking immigrants. By the early 1930's it became obvious that the original building was no longer adequate to meet the needs of a growing congregation, and with the help of a special WPA project, a Christian Education Wing was added to the church. By the late 1930's the congregation also began to investigate how it could become a fully independent congregation. After some initial resistance from both Calvary Presbyterian Church and the Presbytery of New York City, Calvary Chapel became Olivet Presbyterian Church at a service on June 23, 1946, beginning with a membership of 235. In 1958 Dr. DeRogatis retired after serving this church for 45 years. His legacy of faithful witness, however, continues to this day, most especially in the lives of families who are still a part of this congregation and in the lives of young people nurtured in this church who have gone on to become pastors of churches throughout the country. His work set the tone for the multicultural congregation that Olivet has become today. In the late 1960's a long-held Olivet dream came to fruition as the congregation, under the leadership of Pastor Winfield Hall, began to build our present church building on property the church had purchased for $19, 000 at a tax auction in 1956. The church building was completed in 1970. In 1972, the Rev. C. Lee MacCallum was called as pastor and under his leadership the church saw much growth and change, including wonderful growth in the racial and ethnic diversity of the congregation and in the scope of its mission. The church worked very hard to welcome people from all backgrounds and situa